Recorder.



W. W. RICKERT, SR. & H. R. FRECH.

RECORDER.

APPLICATION FILED SAN- 25,1915- Patented Apr. 25, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

W. W. RICKERT, SR. & H. R. FRECH.

RECORDER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 25. 1915.

1 18 1 ,037. I Patented Apr. 25, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

muz'amlnreick s i wi waooao Z/ I C I elffc'unca THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 5:0,, WASHINGTON, D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM W. RICKERT, S3,, AND HENRY R. FRECH, OF STOWE, PENNSYLVANIA.

RECORDER.

Application filed January 25, 1915.

- To all whom it may concern a device for recording the operation of blowoff valves of steam boilers.

In carrying out the present invention, it is our purpose to provide a recording device which will be found especially useful in connection with the blow-off valves of steam boilers so that at the end of the days work the chief engineer or other person in authority may ascertain whether or not the boller has been blown off and the number of times :that the blow-off valve has been opened to view through the recorder.

permit the boiler to blow off.

It is also our purpose to provide a recording device which will be operated by the steam from the boiler as such steam blows out through the blow-ofi valve and whereby a permanent record willv be made of the time of the blow-ofi and the interval elapsing between the opening of the blow-off valve and the closing of such valve so that the person in authority can determine whether or not the boiler has been properly blown off during the operation thereof.

A further object of our invention is to improve and simplify the general construction of recorders and to provide a recorder which may be manufactured and marketed at comparatively small cost and which Wlll operate efiiciently and effectively for its intended purpose.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter set forth in and falling within the scope of the claim.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a boiler showing the connections between the hand operated blow-off valve and our recorder. Fig. 2 is a view in end elevation of the recorder and the valve controlling the recorder removed from the boiler. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view through the recorder. Fig. 4 is a similar View taken at right angles to Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a horizontal cross sectional Fig. 6 is a per- Specification of Letters Yatent.

Patented Apr. 25, 1916.

Serial N 0. 4,379.

spective view of the scriber and arm carrying the scriber. Fig. 7 is a similar view of the tension device for the scriber carrymg arm and the arm carrying such tension device.

In the present instance, we have shown and described our recording device as used in connection with a steam boiler to record the time of blow off and the duration of the blowing off of the boiler and in this connection we wish it to be understood that the in vention, in its useful application, is not limited to this particular purpose, as the same may be employed wherever it is desired to record the passage of a fluid through a pipe and the duration of time that the fluid flows through the pipe.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, 1 deslgnates a portion of a steam boiler equipped with a hand operated blow-off valve 2. In the present instance, the exhaust end of the blow-off valve 2 is connected with the inlet side of a swinging check valve 3, such valve having the outlet port thereof opening into the atmosphere. By means of this construction, it will be seen that when the blow-off valve 2 is opened the steam from the boiler will blow through the valve 2 and the check valve 3 and swing the check of the valve 3 to open position, there by establishing communication between the boiler and the atmosphere to efiect the blowing off of the boiler.

Suitably connected to one side of the easing of the check valve 3 is a vertically disposed case 4 constructed of any suitable ma terial. Disposed within the upper portion of the case 4 and appropriately fastened therein is a dial 5 capable of rotation and having the face thereof divided into a circular series of sections 6 twenty-four in number to correspond with the hours in each day and divided into two sets of twelve each, the sections in each set being numbered consecutively from 1 to 12 inclusive. The rear face of the dial is placed in face to face contact with a plate 7 and disposed behind the plate 7, between the latter and the back wall of the upper portion of the case 4:, is a clock mechanism 8 having the arbor connected with the dial 5 at the center of the latter so that the dial will be revolved in the rotation of the arbor of the clock mechanism. If desired, each section of the series 6 on the face of the dial may be subdivided into minutes. One end of the pivot shaft 3 of the swinging check of the valve 3 projects through the back wall. of the case l: at the lower portion of such case and extends into the case below the dial 5 and surrounding the projecting end. portion of the pivot shaft of the check is a packing gland 1) threaded into the adjacent end of the tubular housing of the shaft of the check. Suitably secured to the projecting end of the pivot shaft of the swinging check and disposed within the lower portion of the case 4: at right angles to the shaft is an arm 10 having the outer end thereof connected to one end of a spring 11, such spring having the remaining end thereof secured to the bottom wall of the case 4 as at 12. Formed on the projecting extremity of the pivot shaft 3 of the check and projecting outwardly therefrom coaxial therewith is a pin and disposed concentrically of the pin 13 is a disk 14 and connected to the periphery of the disk 1d and extending upwardly therefrom is an arm 15 disposed in parallelism with the adjacent portion of the dial and having the upper end thereof formed with a slot 16 opening onto the upper extremity of the arm. Also disposed concentrically of the pin 13 is a disk 17 in face to face contact with the disk 14: and projecting upwardly from the periphery of the disk 17 is an arm 18 of a length less than that of the arm 15 and secured to the arm 18 is one end of a leaf spring 19, the remaining end of such spring bearing'against the adjacent side of the arm 15. The disks 17 and 14 and the adjacent end of the shaft of the cheek are formed, eccentrically, with alining openings and through these openings is passed a securing screw 20 threaded into the wall of the opening in the shaft and acting to hold the disks 17 and 14 to the shaft. Threaded through the upper end portion of the arm 18 is a set screw 21 bearing against the spring 19 and adjustable to vary the pressure of the spring 19 on the arm 15.

designates a scriber of some suitable construction. This scriber is provided with a depending lug 23 placed in face to face contact with the upper end portion of the arm 15 and formed with a threaded opening registering with the slot 16 in the upper end of the arm 15 and passed through such slot and threaded into the opening is a set screw 24 serving to effect a connection between the lugs and the upper end of the arm 15 whereby the scriber is secured to the arm.

Normally, the overlying arms 15 and 17 are disposed adjacent to the vertical center line of the dial and the marking end of the scriber engages the face of the dial adjacent to the center thereof. In practice, the clock mechanism 8 is set in operation and the dial 5 moves through one revolution over twenty-four hours. When the hand blow-off valve 2 is opened the stem blows out through the valve 2 and the check valve 3 and as the steam impinges against the swinging check of the valve 0, such check is swung to open position to permit the steam to pass into the atmosphere. In the opening movement of the check, the shaft of such check is revolved and the arms 15 and 17 on the shaft swung across the face of the dial, the scriber moving from the center of the dial toward the periphery thereof. In this movement of the scriber under the action of the check, the face of the dial is marked in the particular division or section engaged by the scriber and, as the dial is revolving under the action of the clock mechanism, a circular mark is inscribed on the dial as long as the check valve remains open under the action of the out flowing steam, while when the steam is shut off and the check valve restored to normal position the scriber moves toward the center of the dial and inscribes a mark on the particular section or division of the dial engaged thereby. The mark made by the scriber in its initial movement indicates the opening of the valve, while the mark made by the scriber on its return movement designates the closing of the valve and the circular mark made by the scriber when the valve is open designates the interval of time that elapses between the opening and closing of the valve. When the blow-off valve is closed the spring 11 reacts and so swings the arm 10 and the pivot shaft of the swinging check, thereby augmenting the action of gravity to close the cheek and insuring the restoring of the scriber to normal position.

In the present instance, the front side of the case 4 is provided with a hinged closure 25 capable of swinging movement to open position and adapted to be locked in closed position by suitable means 26. The upper portion of the hinged closure 25 is preferably provided with a window 27 through which the time may be read.

While we have herein shown and described the preferred form of our invention by way of illustration, we wish it to be understood that we do not limit or confine ourselves to the precise details of construction herein described and delineated, as modification and variation may be made within the scope of the claim without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Although we have herein shown and described our invention as used in connection with the blow-off valves of steam boilers,

we wish it to be understood that the recorder may be employed wherever desired to record the operation of valves and analogous devices.

We claim:

The combination with a valve capable of swinging movement to open position and embodying a shaft, of a recorder comprising a dial having the face thereof divided into a circular series of sections corresponding to'the hours in every twenty-four hours, clock mechanism for rotating said dial, a scriber engaging said dial adjacent to the center thereof and capable of movement over the dial radially, an arm carrying said scri-ber, a disk disposed concentrically of said shaft and having the periphery thereof connected to said arm, a second disk disposed concentrically of said shaft and placed in face to face contact with the firstmentioned disk, an arm on the last-named disk parallel with the first arm, a spring carried by said last-named arm and bearing against the first-named arm to hold the scriber in engagement with the recorder, means carried by the last-mentioned arm for varying the action of said spring on the first-named arm, and means for holding said disks and shaft against relative movement.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

WILIAM W. RICKERT, SR. HENRY R. FRECI-I.

lVitnesses:

L. B. RmGNnR, S. H. PORTER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner 0! Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

